Molly, also known as MDMA or ecstasy, is usually detectable in bodily fluids for one to three days after ingestion. However, it may be detected for up to five days or more in some circumstances. Like other drugs, it’s detectable in hair for several months.

Most fluid-based detection windows are based on a single dose ranging from 50 to 160 milligrams (mg). Higher doses may take longer to leave your system.

Detection times are based on the time you last took the drug. Taking multiple doses over a period of several hours can lengthen the detection window.

Read on to find out the detection windows for molly in urine, blood, saliva, hair, and more.

Different drug testing methods have different detection windows. These are based on how the drug is absorbed and broken down in the body.

Urine testing

Molly is detectable in urine one to three days after ingestion. Molly that enters the bloodstream is carried to the liver, where it’s broken down and excreted. It takes one to two hours before molly is first excreted in urine.

Some research suggests that differences in urine pH can affect how quickly the drug is excreted. Having alkaline (higher-pH) urine is associated with a slower urine excretion rate.

Blood testing

Molly is detectable in blood one to two days after ingestion. It’s absorbed quickly and is first detectable in blood 15 to 30 minutes after it’s taken. Over time, the drug is transported to the liver where it’s broken down.

Saliva testing

Molly is detectable in saliva one to two days after ingestion. Since it’s typically taken by mouth, it appears quickly in the saliva. It’s first detectable as early as 15 minutes after ingestion. Its concentration peaks after one and a half to three hours.

Hair testing

Molly is detectable in hair up to about three months after ingestion. Once in the bloodstream, small amounts of the drug reach the network of tiny blood vessels that feed the hair follicles. Hair grows at a rate of around 1 centimeter (cm) per month, and the segment of hair that tests positive usually corresponds to the time of ingestion.

After its ingested, molly is absorbed into your intestinal tract. Its concentration peaks around two hours after it’s taken. It’s primarily broken down in the liver, where it’s turned into other chemical compounds called metabolites.

Molly has a half-life of approximately eight hours. After that time, half of the drug has been cleared from your system. It takes about 40 hours for 95 percent of the drug to leave your system.

Research suggests that molly’s metabolites can stay in your body for up to six days. However, they usually aren’t measured on conventional drug tests.

Molly is absorbed, broken down, and eliminated faster or slower depending on a number of factors. This includes the overall amount ingested and whether it’s taken in single or multiple doses.

Other factors relate to the drug’s chemical composition. Molly is frequently laced with other illegal drugs or chemical compounds. These can affect how long it stays in your system and how long an illicit drug may be detected on a drug screening test.

Finally, a number of individual factors are known to affect drug metabolism. These include:

  • age
  • body mass index (BMI)
  • metabolism
  • kidney function
  • liver function
  • genes

There’s nothing you can do to metabolize molly faster. Once it enters your system, your liver needs time to break it down.

Drinking water doesn’t flush molly from your system or neutralize its effects. Since molly increases water retention, drinking excess liquids poses a risk of water toxicity (hyponatremia).

Exercising after taking molly can lead to dehydration, which can increase liquid consumption. Molly also affects your heart’s ability to pump blood, which poses risks during exercise.

People may start to feel the effects of molly 30 minutes after taking it. It takes between one and two hours to feel the drug’s peak effects.

Some of molly’s sought-after short-term (acute) effects include:

  • euphoria
  • openness to others
  • extraversion and sociability
  • increased sensory perception
  • increased energy
  • sexual arousal
  • wakefulness

Other short-term effects are negative. Some of these appear alongside the drug high, while others appear after. They can include:

  • muscle tension
  • jaw clenching and teeth grinding
  • hyperactivity and restlessness
  • increase in body temperature
  • increased heart rate
  • increased blood pressure
  • muscle stiffness and pain
  • headache
  • nausea
  • loss of appetite
  • blurred vision
  • dry mouth
  • insomnia
  • hallucinations
  • anxiety
  • agitation
  • depression
  • lack of focus
  • recklessness

Long-term (chronic) use is associated with other effects that can occur when you’re not under the influence of the drug. These include:

  • memory impairments
  • problems with decision-making
  • increased impulsivity and lack of self-control
  • panic attacks
  • severe depression
  • paranoia and hallucinations
  • psychotic episodes
  • muscle aches
  • tooth damage
  • circulatory problems
  • neurological lesions

It takes about three to six hours for a molly high to wear off, though the effects diminish after two hours. Some people take another dose as the effects of the initial dose fade, prolonging the drug high.

Molly’s negative effects tend to appear later and last longer. Mood disruptions such as irritability, anxiety, and depression can last for up to a week after your last dose.

We still don’t know much about the long-term effects of using molly on a regular basis. Some people believe that chronic use can cause lasting and even permanent damage.

Molly usually stays in your system for one to three days, but it can last five or more days for some. It’s typically detectable in fluids approximately one to three days after it’s taken. Detection times for hair can span several months.